If you’re new to Social Media Marketing, it has already grown into a concept that seems too complex to understand and too difficult to get started with. It’s really not that complex and this series of articles was found to be very helpful..

The Value of Social Media Marketing - Search and Internet Marketing rants, news and views - the Fire Horse Trail

The Value of Social Media Marketing
Friday, 15 February 2008
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A Quest to find meaning in a world of warm and fuzzy….

(be sure to catch Part II in the series)

There is one thing that can be said of me when it comes to Social Media Marketing (SMM); I am unconvinced. While it is fun and there is a certain level of glamour to it, ( 15 minutes of fame and all) I have been hard pressed to embrace it as a method of marketing that is appropriate for every situation. When it comes to Small and Medium Sized Businesses, (SMBs) there is often a need to have the marketing dollars return a positive cash flow in a timely manner.

Considering much of SMM is a branding exercise, that a strong social media profile can take time to develop and show any sort of potential return, often it is not an ideal match. The same can be said of budgetary constraints that mean attaining maximum ROI on the marketing dollar is paramount. Most small businesses have a limited if not nonexistent budget for branding activities. These concepts have fallen on deaf ears with some SMM people I know until only recently (yes, one actually conceded it “isn’t for everyone”).